The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sir Francis Drake Revived, by Philip Nichols

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Title: Sir Francis Drake Revived

Author: Philip Nichols

Release Date: March 31, 2006 [EBook #2854]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR FRANCIS DRAKE REVIVED ***

Produced by Dagny; John Bickers

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE REVIVED

By Philip Nichols

Editor: Philip Nichols

PREPARER'S NOTE

This text was originally prepared from a 1910 edition,
published by P F
Collier & Son Company, New York. It included this note:

Faithfully taken out of the report of Master Christopher Ceely,
Ellis Hixom, and others, who were in the same Voyage with him
By Philip Nichols, Preacher
Reviewed by Sir Francis Drake himself
Set forth by Sir Francis Drake, Baronet (his nephew)

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE REVIVED

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Sir Francis Drake, the greatest of the naval adventurers of England of
the time of Elizabeth, was born in Devonshire about 1540. He went to
sea early, was sailing to the Spanish Main by 1565, and commanded a ship
under Hawkins in an expedition that was overwhelmed by the Spaniards
in 1567. In order to recompense himself for the loss suffered in this
disaster, he equipped the expedition against the Spanish treasure-house
at Nombre de Dios in 1572, the fortunes of which are described in the
first of the two following narratives. It was on this voyage that he was
led by native guides to "that goodly and great high tree" on the isthmus
of Darien, from which, first of Englishmen, he looked on the Pacific,
and "besought Almighty God of His goodness to give him life and leave to
sail once in an English ship in that sea."

The fulfilment of this prayer is described in the second of the voyages
here printed, in which it is told how, in 1578, Drake passed through the
Straits of Magellan into waters never before sailed by his countrymen,
and with a single ship rifled the Spanish settlements on the west
coast of South America and plundered the Spanish treasure-ships; how,
considering it unsafe to go back the way he came lest the enemy should
seek revenge,